The Boy and the Boggart
by AshleighSlytherin
Summary: What if Harry had a friend growing up? What if he didn't see a dementor when facing the boggart? Very, very slight slash. Very.


"Okay everyone, stand against the wall and then one at a time, come and stand there." Professor Lupin says, pointing to a spot in front of the armoire - the thing jumping on the spot, the inhabitants trying to escape from its cage. "I'll release the boggart and it'll change form a few times before turning into your greatest fear. The charm to use against it is _ridikulus_." He finished, showing them the wand movement.

Harry stared at his teacher in disbelief; a quick look around said the same about all of his classmates.

He drew in a deep breath, preparing himself for what his greatest fear could be, knowing he would be going at some point during the class. His luck would never allow him not to face it.

"Who wants to go first?" Professor Lupin asked, clapping his hands in muted excitement.

Harry looked around, seeing everyone standing as close to the wall as they could get. Even Ron and Hermione were looking rather worried. Hermione tried to look like she wasn't moving backward, away from the thing, by smiling kindly at the professor. Her eyes wide in fright the only thing giving her away. Ron kept muttering under his breath, refusing.

He looked at the others again. Seeing no one had moved forward, he called his wand into his hand, gripping it tightly before walking to the spot Professor Lupin had pointed to.

He squared his shoulders, planting his feet firmly in front of the moving object. He looked to his professor, nodding his head that he was ready.

Harry noted he looked rather worried before flicking his wand, letting the boggart out.

They all stared as it kept changing form, the entire class taking in a deep breath that they all held until it changed into the final form.

Harry could feel the confusion from everyone - even the professor was rather confused about why his greatest fear was _that_.

"Do you really think you had a friend all this time? That's rather pathetic. Your life was so bad, you had to make up a friend in your own head?" The carbon copy of himself stood in front of him, tutting in annoyance. "And _you're_ the savior of the Wizarding World? _You_? They should all just give up now. What's a boy who belongs in a psych ward going to do against the greatest Dark Lord of all time?"

Harry gulped, his eyes flickering from the face in front of him to the scar on its head.

Well, where the scar _should_ be.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head to try and clear it from the panic he felt.

'Harry,' the soothing voice in his head, Tom, said. 'Harry, point your wand at the boggart and say ridikulus. Imagine me in its place. Come on, my love, you can do this. I'm here and I'm never going to leave you."

The class watched in silent awe when his eyes flew open, the normally dim avada burning in pure power. They watched as one as he raised his wand, his body radiating cold determination. His voice was quiet and clear, the word seeming to bounce off the walls of the room, seeming to reverberate off their very souls.

"Ridikulus, " he hissed in pure anger.

They watched as the copy without a scar turned into another person.

Sharp, dark brown eyes stared back at the Boy-Who-Lived.

The class drunk him in, trying to figure out who he was. The sharp cheekbones and perfect jawline, hair a few shades lighter than Harry's styled perfectly. He was older. Pure-blood most likely, most guessed, especially with the Slytherin robes.

The boggart walked forward, ignoring everyone but the boy in front of it. He leaned down, brushing a finger against Harry's cheek, whispering something in the boys ear.

The ones closer could have sworn there was a slight hissing undertone.

They saw as his body sagged, watched as he gave the boggart a slight smile before backing up.

He ignored everyone as he walked out of the classroom, off to a room down in the dungeons.

The class was silent for a few moments, everyone's eyes locked on the door.

Professor Lupin gathered himself first, promising to talk with Albus, Minerva, and Severus later about the strange boy and what he had said.

"Five points to Gryffindor," he muttered as he ushered the boggart back in the furniture piece.

"Who's next?"


End file.
